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S. T. CAMERON AND E` R. INMAN.

PACKER FOR OIL WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE Il. 1918.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

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S. T. CAMERON AND E. R INIVIAN.

PACKER FOR OIL WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I7, IQIII.

m3189353 I PIIIenIQII 001:. 14,1919.

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SHELTON T. CAMERON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND EDWARD R.

INI/IAN, OF FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

PACKER FOR OIL-WELLS.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that we, SHELTON T. CAM- ERoN, ofWashington, District of Columbia, and EDWARD R. INMAN, of Franklin,Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Packers forOil-Wells, which invention is fully set forth in the followingspecification.

This invention relates to packers for oil wells, and has for its objectto provide a packer of this description which shall be simple in itsconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, and highly efficient inoperation. Heretofore the most eiicient oil well packers have employedrubber to a greater or less extent in their construction, particularlyfor the packing element. This is especial'ly the case where the weightof the superimposed column of Water is relied upon to force the packerinto eiicient packing contact with the Well tubing and the walls of thewellafter the same has been placed in position. One of the troubles withrubber is found in the fact that after it has been for a considerabletime in position in the well it becomes hard or set, rendering itdiflicult to remove the same from the Well for repairs or replacement.`Moreover, rubber is quite expensive, and it is essential, particularlywhen wells of small flow are pumped, to reduce the operating expenses toa minimum if the well is to be operated at a profit at all. The packerhas hereto'- fore been found one of the expensive'elements in connectionwith oil well operation, and a further object of the invention-is toprovide a packer which is composed of cheap materials, without reducingits eiiiciency in .operation, and at the same time facilitating itsready removal from the well'for inspection, repair or replacement.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in the constructionand combination of elements hereinafter described and then. specilicallydefined in the appended claims.

The inventive idea is capable of being embodied in a variety ofstructures, some of which, for the purpose of illustrating thekinvention are shown in the accompanying drawings, but it is to beexpressly understood that such drawings are for the purpose ofillustration only, and are not designed to specification of LettersPatent. Patent-ed @et M., 319139.

Application filed June 17, 19148. Serial No. 240,432.

deline the limits'of the invention, reference being had to the claimsfor this purpose.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section of oneform ofthe invention, the well tubing and the gas escape pipe beingshown in side elevation, with the Walls of the well indicated byverticaLdotted lines, and the parts being shown in the position whichthey occupy while being placed in the well;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the packer and its connected well tubingand gas escape pipe, the walls of the well being indicated by the fullvertical lines, and the parts being shown in packing position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line III-IH of Fig. i;`

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 on the line IV-IV;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 on the line V-V;

Fig. 6 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in side elevationofganother form of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a vertical, longitudinal section of still another form of theinvention, in which no gas escape pipe is employed; and

Fig. 9 1s a section on the line IX-*DQv Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer tocorresponding parts throughout theseveral views, and referring first toFigs. 1 to 5 inclusive, 1 is` the well tubing through which fluidispumped from the well. 2 is a bolster or abutment secured to the welltubing in any suitable way, as by screw-threads. Mounted on the welltubing 1 and resting on the bolster 2 is a packing sleeve 8 composed ofa suitable fibrous material, preferably asbestos fiber, and a suitablebinder. It is essential that the sleeve 3 should be sufficiently firm toreadily hold its shape under the rough handling to which it is subjectedwhile the packer is being placed in the well, but which shall becomesufficiently plastic, when vin position in the well, to expand undervthe pressure of the column of water above the packer in the well to beforced into intimate.

packing contact with the walls of the well, the surface of the welltubing, and of the gas escape pipe, when the latter is em.-y

ployed. We have discovered that a suitable binder for this purpose maybe made by dissolving resin in benzol, and'adding to this vof . cant,which is preferably composed of tallow, mineral oil, soda lye and water.

The sleeve produced as above becomes very hard upon drying,but willquickly soften when in the-presence of water in the well, and henceproduces an ideal packing.

Still referring to Figs. 1 to 5, 4 is a head' l of any suitablesubstance, as metal, mounted to have longitudinal movement on the tubingabove the sleeve 3, and 5 is any packing l material, as for example,that which is em- 'ployedV in making the sleeve 3, mounted in an annularrecess in the head 4 and surrundin the well tubing 1 and the gas escapepipe 6.- .Mounted to fit within the recess in the head 4 above thepacking 5 is a gland 7 into which the gas escape plpe 6 is preferablyscrew-threaded, as shown in Fig.

1. This gland is flanged as shown at 8, andl resting upon said gland andsupported by the flange thereof is a seal or packing cup 9- of anysuitable flexible material, as leather, upon which rests a head 10longitudinally movable upon the tubing 1 and composed of any suitablematerial, preferably metal. The seal or packing cup 9 is preferablysecured tothe flanged portion 8 of the gland 7 by screws 11 (Fig. 3). Inaddition to the opening through which the well'tubing 1 passes, the cap10 is provided with a suitable socket and opening for receivingl thelower end of the upwardly projecting portion of the gas escape pipe 12',as clearly shown iny Fig. 1. The entire packing is held in place on thetubing 1 bya standard tube coupling 13. Another similar tube coupling14' is screw-threaded onto the lower end of the tubing 1, and the upperand lower sections."

of the well tubing are connected to these couplings 13 and 14 in theusual way.

' Operation: The cap 10, packing cup 9, gland 7 packing' 5 and head 4are allifree to move downward, and the diameter of the bolster 2, thepacking sleeve 3 and the head 4 is slightly less thanf that of the wellto bev packed, While the diameter of the packing cup 9 is approximatelythat of the well, so that it fits smoothly and snugly within the well,without being too tight or causing too around the tubing 1 and the gasrelief pipe pairs or replacement.

much friction, all as will be readily understood from an inspection ofFig. 1.

When the packer is placed in the well and the pumping operation started,thus exhausting the water beneath the packer, the welght of the waterabove the packer, which 1s sustained by the cup 9, causes the cupstructure to move downward, the first effect ofwhich is to compress thepacking ring 5 firmly 6. Thereupon, the head 4 also moves downward,causing the plastic sleeve 3 to expand and completely lfill the bore ofthe well or the well casing, the parts then occupying the position shownin Fig. 2.

. It will be observed that the pac-ker has three separate packing pointswhen in packing position, as shown in Fig. 2,-two against the wall ofthe well or theinterior of the casing and one against the surface of thewell tubing.` It will also be noted that by reason of the fact that thebolster 2 is securedto the tubing, said bolster 1s prev vented frommoving .upward and com ressing the sleeve 3 in case the bolster s ouldmeet any obstruction while the packer is being lowered into` the well. y

The sleeve constructed as above becomes hard upon drying, butwillquickly soften 1n the presence of water in the well, thus producingan ideal packing. Any other cement 'than that above described having thesame properties may be employed.

Referring to Fig. 6, it will be observed that linstead of the standardtube coupling 13 holding all. of the parts together, a standard`pipecoupling 15 is secured on the lower end of the gas relief pipe 6, andthe upper endbeing screw-threaded into the gland 7 said pipe 6 serves tohold all of the parts to- 105,

gether and in position, with the exception of the cu-p 9 and the cap 10.Fig. 8 shows a form of the invention employed when uno gas relief pipeis used. It will be observed that the packer is of simple lconstruction,composed of parts which are cheaply and readily manufactured vandassembled, and that the packing sleeve, before placing in the well, isfirm and rigid, but upon placing in the well becomes softened with thewater, thereby rendering it plastic whereby ite'ects a complete packingof the well; that it will not become hard or set in the well; and thatyit may be readily removed from the well for inspection, re-

What is claimed is:

1`. In an oil well packer, the combination of a plastic packing sleevesurrounding the well tubing, afixed abutment on which said sleeve rests,and means longitudinally mov- ,able on the well tubing albove the sleeveand transmitting the pressure of the superposed column of water inthewell to s'aid sleeve.

. 2. In an oil well packer, thecombination of a plastic packing sleevecomprisin a mass of loose fibers and a binder, a Wel tubing' surroundedby said sleeve, a fixed abutment on Which said sleeve rests, and meanslongi- -tudinally movable on the Well tubing above the sleeve andtransmitting the pressure of the superposed column of Water in the Wellto said sleeve.

3. In an oil' Well packer, the combination of a plastic packing sleevecomprising a mass ,ofasbestos bers and a soap-stock lubricant, a Welltubing surrounded by said sleeve, a Xed abutment `on Which 'said sleeverests, and means longitudinally movable on the Well tubing above thesleeve `and transmitting the pressure of the superposed column of Waterin the Well `to said sleeve.

4. In an oil Wel-1 packer, the combination of a plastic packing sleevecomposed of asbestos fiber, a resin and a soap-stock lubricant, a Welltubing surrounded by said sleeve, a Xed abutment on `Which said sleeverests, and means'longitudinally'movable on the Well tubing above thesleeve and transmitting the pressure of the superposed column of Wateryin the Well to said sleeve.

5. In an oil Well packer, the combination of the Well tubing, anabutment fixed on said tubing, `a plastic ring supported lby saidabutment and surrounding said tubing, a rigid head or followerlongitudinally movable on said tubing above the sleeve, and means albovethe head, or follower, and

pressure of the superposed column of Waterv in the Well.

7 In an oil Well packer, a packing sleeve composed ofasbestos fibersanda composi-` tion .of resin, mineral oil, talloW, soda lye and Water.

8. In an oil Well packer, a packing sleeve composed of a mass of loosefibers and a soap composition iniXed With a mineral oil and a resin.

9. In an oil Well packer, the combination of a packing sleeve composedof loose iibers and an air-hardening Water-softening binder.

10. In an oil Well packer, a packing sleeve composed of asbestos fibersand an air-hardening Water-softening binder.

In testimony whereof We have signed this specilication. y

SHELTON T. CAMERON. EDWARD R. IN MAN.

